Interested in contributing patterns or articles to Knitty?

Sign up for periodic updates and bulletins by using the handy form below.
[We won't use this information for any other purpose and your e-mail address will only be visible to Knitty's editor. Promise.]

Ysolda Teague has provided a wonderful sizing resource for designers that follows the CYC sizing standards and fills in some important gaps. Thank you, Ysolda!

FAQ for designers and authors [updated June 2009]:

Q1. What types of patterns/articles are you looking for?
A1. We are now soliciting patterns for our Winter Issue which goes live in December 2009.

Winter is all about the cozy, and at Knitty, we want to provide cozy on every page of our jam-packed winter issue. Think about cozy sweaters for women and men, accessories that make cold weather worth the frozen nose and the perfect thing to take the chill off once you shake the snow off your boots and curl up with your knitting on the couch.

It's also gift season, and we love great last-minute gift knit patterns in our winter issue. Creative, gorgeous and quick accessories and whimsies. Take a peek at previous winter issues to get an idea of the kind of things we love to publish.

We love unique approaches to construction, techniques we have never seen before, and fresh, up-to-date style that you want to wear right now. Keep an eye on what's in fashion but make it wearable and stylish beyond just one season. Think about what flatters the body, and what makes the wearer feel good when the sweater is on. And remember that we are more likely to publish designs that cover the widest possible range of sizes, which means careful attention to design and shaping.

Lace is always a favorite at Knitty, whether it's an elaborate shawl with multiple charts or an ingenious pattern that looks much harder to knit than it is. Lace in a sweater? We love that.

Overall, as you design for Knitty, ask yourself this: what makes your design unique?

Please note: Knitty is religion neutral, so nothing related to any religion will be published.

Submissions must be new -- not previously shown in any form [even just a picture] in another mag or on your website, blog, livejournal, Flickr or Ravelry. Once your pattern is published in Knitty, you may include a picture of your design on your website with a link to the Knitty website. After the issue has been archived [3 months later], you may do whatever you wish with your work, including self publishing or submitting it to other publications.

We cannot accept submissions of crocheted items. Knitted items with a small amount of crochet, such as edging, necklines are most welcome. :-)

Q2. What do you pay for submissions?
A2. The honorarium ranges from $75-100 per published submission. Payment will be by Paypal and contributors can expect payment by the time the issue's surprise goes live -- midway between your issue and the next.

In addition to the honorarium, we offer you a highly visible, professional place to show your work to a large, well-connected audience, plus a link back to the website of your choice. Our designers and authors enjoy significant traffic as a result of their Knitty exposure. If you've dreamed of becoming a professional published knitwear designer or writer, Knitty could help you get there. It's also a great way to build an audience and generate sales for your own pattern line or other knitting-related product.

You [the creator of the work] will retain all copyrights to your own work. By submitting work to be published in Knitty and accepting the honorarium, you are giving your permission for your pattern or article and all related images to be included in Knitty magazine in its current format and other electronic or computer-readable distribution formats. Back issues of Knitty will remain available online indefinitely.

Once the current issue that showcases your pattern or article has moved to the archives, you are free to do as you wish with the pattern or article, which includes submitting it elsewhere or self publishing.

Q3. May I send you my submission by snail mail?
A3. Knitty is unable to accept snail mail [paper] submissions. All submissions must be sent via e-mail. If you do not have a digital camera or scanner, this information may help you.

Q4. How soon can I expect to hear back about my submission?
A4. Consideration for each issue's designs begins after the submission deadline has closed.

If we feel your submission is not suitable for publication in Knitty, we will let you know as soon as possible. If you do not hear from us, it means your submission is in the queue for consideration. Congratulations!

Once the submission deadline has passed and all potential designs are in hand, we begin the selection process. We endeavor to let every designer know if they will be included in the next issue as soon as possible. If you have not heard from us by two weeks before publication, please write the editor and inquire. Patterns are selected first for each issue to allow our technical editor time to do her work; articles are chosen closer to publication.

Q5. How do you select what gets published?
A5. Our editor chooses what she likes and/or what she thinks Knitty readers will like. The quality of the knitted item, written pattern AND the images that accompany the submission are very important.

No payment is accepted by Knitty in exchange for publishing a design. If it's in our pages, it's there because we think people will enjoy knitting it or be inspired by it.

Q6. Does Knitty arrange yarn support?
A6. Many of our designers have had the materials for their designs donated and we try to facilitate this when possible. If you are an established contributor to Knitty, write the editor with your concept, sketches, swatches and yarn requirements as far in advance of the issue your work is planned for as you possibly can.

If you are new to Knitty, please include photographs of previous work and some information about you and your background when you write to us with your concept, sketches and swatches.

Q7. What are your deadlines for future issues?
A7. All submissions will be due the first day of the deadline month, unless that day happens to be a Sunday or a holiday. In that case, we move to the next day. You'll also notice that we're shifting our publication schedule. Please take careful note of our new deadlines and the new focus of each issue starting with Spring+Summer 2010 in the chart below. Overall, we'll still want the same sorts of patterns that Knitty is famous for, but the makeup of each issue as well as its timing is changing. Still 4 issues per year, just slightly different timing.

Q8. When does each issue go live?
A8. As close as possible to the beginning of the month, except for First Fall.

Fall 2009: September 2009

Winter 2009: December 2009

Spring+Summer 2010: March 2010
[this issue is live for one extra month so we can make the issue shift]

First Fall + Holiday Headstart 2010: mid-July 2010

Deep Fall 2010: October 2010

Winter 2011: January 2011

Spring+Summer 2011: April 2011

Q9. My work was published in Knitty. When will I be paid?
A9. Payment to all contributors will be complete by the time the issue's surprise goes live -- midway between your issue and the next.

Please read and follow all instructions precisely.

Knitty Patterns [see below for additional Knittyspin pattern guidelines]

All design submissions for our Winter Issue must be received by September 2, 2009, and include the following, sent as ATTACHMENTS to your e-mail message:

1. A complete written knitting pattern that adheres to the Knitty style guide in an MS Word or text-only document. Please download this MSWord document or the text-only version and follow the conventions exactly when creating your submission. Your work will be edited for clarity and format. Do not include photos in your pattern document. Attach them to your e-mail along with the pattern file.

Take some time to read patterns we've published and follow our conventions. A table of Knitty's standard abbreviations can be found here. List any unusual abbreviations and their definitions at the beginning of your pattern in the Pattern Notes section.

Patterns must include the following: brand name, colors and fiber content of yarn used; yardage per ball or skein; quantity of yarn required per size. If the yarn you have used is discontinued by the time your pattern is submitted, please list an alternate that will produce similar results. Your pattern will be edited to meet our standards.

You must include a gauge indicator [4x4" square, over stockinette stitch, showing stitch AND row count] for those knitters who wish to substitute yarns. Please use current, commercially available yarns whenever possible. "Commercially available" means, at minimum, that the yarn can be ordered from a website, all over the world, without difficulty.

Patterns should be sized from XS to 3X for women and S to 2X for men. All designs published in Knitty must follow the CYC sizing standards. Please familiarize yourself with the sizing charts, which you'll find here.

2. A clean sketch of the silhouette of the pattern [see example at right] that shows all relevant measurements. If your pattern covers multiple sizes, please indicate their measurements as well. The sketch should be provided as a GIF file, or EPS artwork, if you are able. Clean, hand-drawn sketches are acceptable.

3. A selection of clean digital images [JPG, best possible quality] of the finished project at 72dpi, at least 500 pixels wide. You may include more than one photo -- in fact, we encourage it.

Please ensure that all relevant design features are visible in the photos you send, since this often helps people follow patterns. The style and quality of your photos is very important, so show your work to its best advantage! Have a photo shoot, take lots of different shots from different angles and have fun with it! Pl

Are you a designer that's new to Knitty? [as in we haven't published your work before]: It's absolutely essential that your submission photos be clear, in focus, bright and of the style that we request above. The quality of the photos is an essential component of everyone's submission. We have had to reject excellent patterns because the photographs weren't well-lit, sharp and/or appealing.

So in order to evaluate each submission properly, every submission MUST contain photos that are good enough to publish.

Note: if you do not have a digital camera, most photo developers are able to provide you with a photo CD for each roll of film you have developed. This gives you a good-quality JPG file for each photo.

You can also take your developed photos to a place like Kinko's where they'll scan them in for you and give you an electronic file that you can attach to your e-mail submission. Print out this page, bring it along and point them to item 3 above so that they know what resolution and file size you require.

4. Contact details -- please include:

- Your name as you wish it to be published
- an e-mail address where readers can send questions or feedback
- your Paypal e-mail address
- the URL to your website or blog, if you wish us to link to you
- a short bio [100 words max], written in 3rd person
- a blurb describing the item in question
- a headshot of you
- the name of any models featured in photographs you submit
- the photographer's name

5. A signed, dated statement that the pattern you are submitting is your own original work. Please copy the following text, sign below and include it with your submission:

By submitting a design to be published in Knitty, I verify that I am the original creator of the work, and that I have not infringed and/or violated the existing intellectual property rights of any third person in the creation of the work I claim as mine. Further, I agree to hold Knitty and its editors and publisher harmless from any and all expenses, losses, liabilities, damages or third-party claims that may arise from any infringement and/or violation of such intellectual property rights. The one-time fee paid by Knitty is my full compensation for all electronic and/or computer-readable media distribution rights. This notice will serve as my written permission to allow my pattern and all related images to be published in Knitty magazine in its current format and in any future format in perpetuity.

Please send all submissions to the editor.
Kindly title your e-mail: "winter pattern sub: *yourpatternnamehere*"

Articles [see below for additional Knittyspin article guidelines]

Tutorials of unique techniques, or techniques that have not yet been covered by other articles in our archive are most welcome. Tutorials require clean, detailed photography and clear step-by-step instructions. Do you have a unique skill related to knitting or fiber? Share what you know!

First-person stories are welcomed, but please be aware that we have published many of these in the past and do not wish to publish duplicate themes or content. If you have a new, fresh personal story to tell that other knitters will find interesting or might relate to, we would love to see it.

Written submissions for our Winter Issue must be received by September 2, 2009. Submissions must be from 1000 to 2000 words in length. Submit files in MS Word or as text-only documents. If accepted for publication, your work will be edited for clarity and format.

Please include the following, sent as ATTACHMENTS to your e-mail message:
1. Where appropriate, supporting graphics or photography are appreciated by the editor and bring life to your story. As an example, see this article. The photographs of the process, yarns and color key were supplied by the author. This is a very good thing. Important: Note the name of each image in the location you feel it belongs in your article.

Image guidelines: Clean, well-lit digital images [JPG, best possible quality], 72dpi, at least 500 pixels wide. You may include more than one photo -- we encourage you to! As with patterns, photo quality is very important.

Note: if you do not have a digital camera, most photo developers now offer image scanning to CDs so that you end up with a good-quality JPG file for each photo.

2. Contact details -- please include:

- Your name as you wish it to be published
- an e-mail address where readers can send questions or feedback
- your Paypal e-mail address
- the URL to your website or blog, if you wish us to link to you
- a short bio [100 words max], written in 3rd person
- a headshot of you
- the name of any models featured in photographs you submit
- the photographer's name

3. A signed, dated statement that the pattern you are submitting is your own original work. Please copy the following text, sign below and include it with your submission:

By submitting an article to be published in Knitty, I verify that I am the original creator of the work, and that I have not infringed and/or violated the existing intellectual property rights of any third person in the creation of the work I claim as mine. Further, I agree to hold Knitty and its editors and publisher harmless from any and all expenses, losses, liabilities, damages or third-party claims that may arise from any infringement and/or violation of such intellectual property rights. The one-time fee paid by Knitty is my full compensation for all electronic and/or computer-readable media distribution rights. This notice will serve as my written permission to allow my article and all related images to be published in Knitty magazine in its current format and in any future format in perpetuity.

Please send all submissions to the editor.
Kindly title your e-mail: "winter article sub: *yourarticlenamehere*"

Knittyspin Patterns

Knittyspin is for people who want to knit with handspun yarn, whether they have spun it themselves or not.

Handspun yarn is used in a lot of beautiful accessories and we get many accessories submitted each issue. We really want to encourage patterns for garments, especially garments that combine handspun and commercial yarn.

Knittyspin follows the same guidelines as our big sister, Knitty, but we have our own style guide. Please download this MSWord document or the text-only version and follow the conventions exactly when creating your submission. The Knitty pattern guidelines apply for the rest of your submission.

Please send all submissions to this address. Deadline for winter is September 2, 2009.
Kindly title your e-mail: "Knittyspin winter pattern sub: *yourarticlenamehere*"

Knittyspin Articles

Articles about all aspects of spinning, and all aspects of knitting with handspun are welcome.

Knittyspin follows the same guidelines as our big sister, Knitty. Read the requirements for Articles above. In addition, please include any of the following details that are applicable to your article:

Fiber: (include company, colorway and where it is available to purchase)
Preparation:
Drafting method:
Wheel system: [double drive, scotch tension or bobbin drive]
Ratio (singles/plying):
Wraps per inch:
Twist angle:
Yardage used:
Yarn classification: (please include a commercial substitute)
Yardage used:
Finished size:

All gear used in the spinning of your yarn, including:
Wheel or spindle
Niddy Noddy
Lazy Kate
Etc.

Please send all submissions to this address. Deadline for winter is September 2, 2009.
Kindly title your e-mail: "Knittyspin winter article sub: *yourarticlenamehere*"